The present invention relates to a knob structure for a parking brake apparatus. The parking brake apparatus includes a braking section that receives an operating force at the time of parking and transmits the operating force for generation of a braking force, and a releasing section that cancels the constrained state in which the operating force is held. The parking brake apparatus receives an operation releasing force in the releasing section.
Conventionally, this type of knob structure for a parking brake apparatus has been generally manufactured by cast molding a rod made of iron into a knob made of. The knob main body, which is connected to the rod held and guided by the guide rail, is a portion that is pulled by hand. Thus the knob main body is provided with a relatively large shape so as to be easily gripped.
Such a knob structure has been disposed under the inner panel in the vehicle. In addition, as an indicator (marking) to the driver, the knob is generally provided with a letter “P,” a phrase of “BRAKE RELEASE,” or the like by printing, seal affixing, or the like.
However, with the above-mentioned conventional knob structure for a parking brake apparatus, the shape of the knob main body is large, and, in the knob main body, the thickness may be non-uniform. For example, the thickness of a portion coating the rod is small as compared to that of other portions. A sink mark or a weld mark may be caused at the time of resin molding. Therefore, the knob main body must be designed with care so as to provide a uniform thickness throughout, which has presented a problem that the degree of restriction on design geometry is great.
In addition, on the knob main body, an indicator (marking) is printed or an indicator (marking) seal is affixed Thus a material which is suited for printing or seal affixing must be selected. Then, generally, a resin material, such as ABS, or the like, which is easy to be bonded to a paint, is often used. However, such a resin material has a poor moldability and is easy to be degraded by an oily matter applied to the mold, such as a rust preventive oil, or the like. Thus care must also have been taken not to cause cracks due to the deposition of such an oily matter.
The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems which have been presented by the conventional art, and the purpose of the present invention is to provide a knob structure for parking brake apparatus with which the thickness of the surface layer of the knob main body is rendered uniform, whereby occurrence of a sink mark or a weld mark at the time of molding can be avoided; that can indicate the necessary information without the need for printing on the knob main body or affixing a seal thereto; and that allows an inexpensive resin material with a good moldability to be adopted.